The manpage for ffmpeg is fairly detailed but this should get you started. Also the -ss option performs differently depending upon where it is put in the command.

HTH

Thanks. I am trying ffmpeg -s 01:20:12 -i movie.mpg4 -t 7s new_file.mpg4 but it complains of "option video_size not found". Trying to get around this but haven't figure out how. I don't want to specify size because I don't know what the default size is since I don't want to change the size...just take a clip out for my screen saver.

In looking at the use descriptions it looks like you need the xvid flag enabled for mpeg-4,_________________Knute
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The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter.
-- Mark Twain

There should be options for those things. The ffmpeg man page is very good about those options.

Sorry to say RTFM, but that's where it comes to. If the pager that you are using has a search function, it makes it easier to find what you are looking for.

That being said, you may want to look at both bitrate and bufsize; it also looks like you can specify FPS as well._________________Knute
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The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter.
-- Mark Twain